


rings of saturn

by johnsolyuta



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character Development, Drunken Shenanigans, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, Platonic Relationships, Trouble In Paradise, yusol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-03-01
Packaged: 2019-03-25 09:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13831506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnsolyuta/pseuds/johnsolyuta
Summary: Yuta and Hansol celebrate their graduation from university with a trip to California but they realize they're in over their heads when a drunken night gets them into trouble





	1. PART 1

**Author's Note:**

> i miss yusol /a lot/ so please enjoy this soft whirlwind of a three-part fic ♥
> 
> @ mey; i hope this fulfills your yusol needs

Freshly frisked down and nervously waiting in a detention room wasn’t exactly the best start to the supposed best vacation of their lives. If they were being detained on the copious amounts of hair product Yuta insisted on packing, Hansol swore he was gonna leave him in America and go back home. If they were in the same room together right now, Yuta would not hear the end of it.

After what seemed like forever, an officer finally came to talk to them. They weren’t being held because they thought Yuta was smuggling hair gel, but instead on the fact they didn’t have a hotel booked and weren’t sure where they’d be staying yet. It was the first time the two had done something big as adults, so of course they’d manage to mess it up. Thankfully they sorted things out, booked a hotel, and were out of the airport within an hour.

“I swear I peed my pants a little waiting for the officer to come in.” Yuta laughed as they stood outside the airport waiting for a taxi. It was warmer than they’d expected it to be but neither seemed to mind it too much.

They’d been planning on this trip for about a year and a half. From the moment they decided to take the trip to California as a getaway after their graduation from university, they started studying the language together and saved as much money as they could from every paycheck and had just enough to cover hotel, food, shopping, and maybe some clubbing. (Clubbing was Yuta’s idea, Hansol would rather go to a bar or just stay at the hotel and drink). It caused quite a bit of arguing between the two – as both had slightly different ideas for the trip.

For now, all they wanted to do was go to the hotel and take a nap. They had two weeks to do whatever they wanted, so they weren’t in any hurry to get out and explore. The two marveled at the new scenery on the way to their hotel; in the distance they could see the ocean and it reminded both of home.

To avoid oversleeping, they set an alarm to wake up in a few hours, so they can start their vacation off right. When the time came to get up, they hurried to get ready, so they could get out in the city. “What do you want to do?” Hansol asked as he brushed his hair. He could see Yuta changing behind him through the mirror, trying to decide if he wanted to wear his stripped t-shirt or his hoodie ‘incase it got cold’.

“You know what I want to do.” Yuta smiled largely, stood in only his jeans and socks.

“Yuta,” Hansol groaned, turning around. “I don’t want to go to a club and watch drunk people grind on strangers all night, I would seriously vomit.”

It wasn’t really Yuta’s scene either, he just wanted to have the full experience. “Just once, please, you can’t hate it if you’ve never tried it.”

“Yes, I can.”

Yuta rolled his eyes, already tired of arguing with Hansol once again over the subject. He finally picked up the stripped shirt and threw it on, deciding on putting the sweatshirt in his backpack. He dropped it for now but Hansol knew it wouldn’t be the last of it.

It wasn’t even two hours of being out that they ended up in a bar. Three hours later and both their pockets a hundred dollars lighter, they decided what to do next. From the bar they went to a burger joint and ordered more food than they could possibly eat. “We’re going to be broke by the time our vacations over.” Yuta slurred as he shoved five large fries into his mouth.

“Next time we go drinking we should really leave our wallets at home.” He laughed now but he knew he’d regret how much he blew tonight when he checked his balance tomorrow.

“If we left them at home how would we buy drinks?” Yuta continued to shove fries in his mouth, claiming they’re the best he’s ever had. Hansol should’ve seen this coming, drunk Yuta was notorious for it; wild adventures. “Let’s go to the beach.”

“It’s dark out, we won’t even be able to see anything.” Hansol protested the idea. All this food mixed with the alcohol was going to either lull him to sleep or make him vomit – and falling asleep drunk on a beach in California wasn’t exactly on his to-do list either.

“Please Hansol, I want to go to the beach!” Yuta whined, trying to make Hansol give in. Hansol simply shook his head, turning his attention back to his food, knowing Yuta disliked it when he wasn’t getting the attention he wanted.

“Let’s go tomorrow,” Hansol steadied himself in his seat so he didn’t fall over. He wasn’t new to drinking, but something about being in another country made him a little more carefree and not quite so uptight about everything. Key: not quite. He needed to make sure Yuta didn’t get them into any trouble that would end them up in _another_ detention room in a foreign country. “the ocean is prettier when you can see it.”

“I’ve seen the ocean a thousand times. I don’t need to see it, I just want to feel the sand under my feet.” Yuta corrected him.

“You don’t need to go to the ocean to feel the sand under your feet.”

“Yes, you do.” Yuta crossed his arms, pretending to be mad. Drunk Yuta didn’t have the means to stay mad over something, especially Hansol, but he’ll still try to.

Hansol urged him to finish eating and he’d ‘bring him to the sand’. Yuta didn’t believe him but finished his food as quickly as possible anyway. After they threw away their trash, Hansol led Yuta out into the parking lot. “Okay, close your eyes.” Hansol instructed. Yuta hesitantly complied, closing his eyes and immediately having to reach out to Hansol for balance. Hansol took his hand and walked him down the sidewalk and across the parking lot to a grassy area he could see under the street light.

“Where are you taking me?” Yuta mumbled, stumbling over his own feet as he focused on keeping his eyes shut for the surprise.

“To the sand.”

“I’m not a scientist or anything but I’m pretty sure there’s not an ocean by In-and-Out.” Groaned Yuta, stumbling alongside Hansol. Once they got to the small makeshift sandy area, Hansol stopped walking and turned to Yuta. He slightly opened his eyes to see what was going on, but Hansol covered his eyes and urged him to keep them closed.

“Take off your shoes.” Hansol ordered. Yuta opened his mouth to question, but instead stayed silent and not-so-gracefully took off his shoes and dropped them on the ground next to him.

“Now what?” He asked. Hansol bit his lip to conceal a smile as he ushered the barefoot, drunk Yuta to the sandy dirt area on the side of the parking lot. Yuta’s lips formed into a small smile, needing his feet into the dirt.

“Wow,” He breathed out. “It’s like I’m at the ocean.”

“Really?” Hansol lit up, proud of his work.

“No.” Yuta opened his eyes and deadpanned at Hansol. “We’re in a parking lot and there’s no ocean sounds.”

Hansol covered Yuta’s eyes with his hands again, getting ready to unveil his best ocean sounds. He wouldn’t have ever done this sober; be so touchy and show Yuta his soft side. Sober Yuta wouldn’t have let Hansol seen the light of day for what he was doing right now, but drink Yuta will forget about it after they get back to the hotel. When Hansol started to make ‘wave’ sounds that sounded more like the airplane sounds you’d make when trying to feed a baby, Yuta burst out into laughter and nearly fell over from the sudden movement.

“Okay, okay. We can just go to the ocean tomorrow.” Yuta finally compromised. “But thank you for that performance. It deserves an award.”

“Shut up.” Hansol nudged him and started walking back toward the burger joint.

The next morning, they were both pulling blanks on how they got back to their hotel. The last they could remember was leaving the bar and judging by the raging hangover, they drank way too much.

After Hansol’s shower, he was met with the chaos that was Yuta. The room was torn apart, the contents of their suitcases were thrown about, the sheets on the bed were torn apart, and even the fridge had been opened and rummaged through. “What the fuck happened in here?” Hansol stood in shock at the sight – he’d only been in the bathroom for roughly fifteen minutes, how did Yuta manage all this and Hansol not hear a single bit of it?

“I can’t find my shoes!” Yuta stood in the middle of the disaster, looking very frustrated and drained. “How did I manage to lose my _shoes_ of all things last night?”

“And you tore apart the _fridge_ looking for them?” Hansol gawked.

He shrugged, taking a deep breath and looking at the clothes scattering every inch of the room. “You never know.”

The painkillers were just finally starting to ease Hansol’s throbbing head, so he just shook his head, forcing himself to forget about the mess for now and just get ready for the day. Only Yuta could manage to lose the shoes on his own feet. Hansol checked the pockets of his jeans he was wearing last night to make sure he still had everything, silently thankful that everything was still there.

They got breakfast at some urban-style café a few blocks from their hotel. Hansol was in love with the aesthetic of it and Yuta took the opportunity to pose in a few of the photo’s Hansol was taking. They discussed their options for the day over coffee and pancakes; the ocean being the top on the list. “I have a proposal for you, Hansol.” Yuta took a sip from his coffee, scoping out Hansol’s reaction.

Hansol nodded, willing to hear out whatever he had to offer. “Go on.”

He seemed a little shocked Hansol agreed to hear him out but didn’t waste any time getting to the point. “We go to a club but –”

Hansol rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he leaned back in the seat. He was willing to hear anything out _except_ things that had to do with a club. “No.”

“Just hear me out,” Yuta said, placing his cup down in front of him. “ _but_ I don’t try to pick up any girls and we stick together. Like you said, this trip is a celebration, not an excuse to get laid.”

He thought about it for a minute, trying to read Yuta’s face for any hint that he’s just full of shit and looking for any conceivable way to get his way but Hansol couldn’t find one. He’d probably regret it, but he finally agreed. “Okay, we can go to a club.”

Yuta cheered, a little too loudly for the small café, but quickly thanked Hansol nonetheless. “You’ll love the club.”

“Can we go tomorrow though? I’d rather go a day when I’m not experiencing the worst hangover of my life.” Hansol suggested.

Yuta smiled brightly, pumped to even be going at all. “Deal.”

After breakfast (or technically lunch), they decided to rent a car and make a day trip to the beach. Hansol’s always wanted to see the sun set across the horizon, while Yuta wanted to utilize California’s hot sun to work on a tan and take beach photos for his feed. They stocked up on food, drinks, and various other things they’d need for a day by the water.

“Pulling my hair out everyday for four years was definitely worth this trip.” Hansol exclaimed, his arm extended out of the window, soaking in the warm breeze while the other was steering the wheel. Yuta was already breaking into their bag of snacks despite just eating a whole meal.

The drive to the beach they were wanting was about an hour away, relying on their phone’s GPS to take them to their destination. It was easy to forget about the responsibilities they had back home driving along the coast – no one nagging them to study, no one asking them the dreaded questions about _how_ they’re going to use their degrees, no one to tell them what to do. Hansol was a little jealous at how easily Yuta was able to forget about the stress that awaited them when they got back. They wouldn’t be university students when they returned; they’d be graduated adults with a degree and an extreme pressure to get a job and put their four years of school to work. The thought made Hansol psychically sick to his stomach.

An hour-and-a-half later filled with jamming to music, stopping to take pictures of the view, and getting lost due to a GPS error, they finally made it to the beach at last. There weren’t that many people on the beach, which they were both kind of thankful for. In the distance to the left there were a few houses up on cliffs, “What do you think it would be like to live in a house like that?” Yuta wondered out loud, staring at the big white house in complete awe. Hansol was too lost in his thoughts over how beautiful the ocean was to even notice the mansions atop the hill. Once he had, he was even more taken away by the scenery.

“You’d be living in heaven every day,” Gleamed Hansol. “that would be the life.”

They continued down the beach, finding a small area away from the other beach goers to set up their little camp comfortably. Hansol stayed back to finish the book he started on the flight while Yuta went down to the ocean to cool off. Yuta came back after a few minutes to grab a beer. “Did you put oil on or are you naturally just _that_ sweaty?” Yuta commented. Hansol did a double glance at his bare chest from his book, unamused at the gab.

“I’m not even sweaty, it’s called a natural glow.” Hansol rolled his eyes. “If you actually drank water instead of beer you’d know that.”

He simply laughed, plopping down onto his towel next to Hansol. “I could get used to this.” He exhaled, laying back with his hands behind his head.

For the moment, Hansol ditched the book, soaking in the sun with Yuta by his side. He could get used to this too – but the high would only last so long and he’d have to face the sad reality of his future in twelve days. He was getting too lost in his own thoughts, thoughts that had haunted him for the past few months.

“Yuta?” Hansol said quietly. The other hummed in response, an arm moving up to cover the sunlight so he could look at Hansol. “Do you know what you’re doing with your degree yet?”

His parents weren’t happy with his choice of study, but then again, not many parents are ever fully content with their childrens major. “An editorial assistant, maybe? I don’t know,” Yuta sighed. “I love philosophy, but I wish someone would’ve told me it’s not exactly the easiest job field.”

“Try it out for a year, if you find you like it then stay; if you hate it and it’s the worst thing you’ve ever done then switch it up and try something new.” Hansol sat up, blocking the sun from hitting Yuta’s face. “Don’t settle for anything. Don’t waste your time at a job that makes you unhappy. Don’t be like everyone else. Find what makes you genuinely happy and proud of, even if it takes you a while.”

Yuta nodded, letting Hansol’s words sink in. Instead of furthering the conversation about the topic he’s tried his best to push to the back of his mind the past two days, he turned the conversation toward Hansol. “What about you? Are you still going to open the dance studio?”

Hansol’s lips curled into a small smile at the thought of owning a dance studio, it was what he was most passionate about, but he opted for a degree in Physical Education. There’s no way he’d have the money to open one straight out of university to be able to afford opening one yet, so he decided on teaching PE classes with his minor in teaching. “Yeah, hopefully in a few years.”

When he got back home, he’d have to go to interview after interview and meeting after meeting to land a job teaching PE. The thought scared him; he could still be turned down despite his credentials. “You have everything figured out, you’re so lucky.” Yuta groaned in frustration. He was wrong though – Hansol had _plans_ for his future, that was all it was, nothing was set in stone. Something could happen tomorrow, in a week, or a year that could throw everything off track. Life never went how you wanted and that thought alone haunted Hansol. If Hansol could see into the future, all his worries would go away. “You know what? Fuck it. We’re in California celebrating our graduation from university! We can’t let our fears, stress, and anxiety about the future get in the way of one of the best time of our lives. From now on, there will be no talk or thought about the future. Only now.”

Hansol wasn’t sure if he would be able to do it, but he agreed anyway. There’s enough to do in California, so much to explore and experience, that it might be easy. The chance to grow and strive was right in front of him, he just had to take the opportunity and not let it slip by him. To start, he’ll try to be less negative about what Yuta wants to do on the trip since it’s his celebration too. If Yuta wants to go clubbing, Hansol will go clubbing. Hansol is on a mission to become more selfless.

Yuta felt if he said it aloud he would have to stick to it, Hansol’s agreement made it feel more real and able to happen. He didn’t know what he wanted to do in the future but he wasn’t going to stress over it; before he went back home, he was going to find himself by living in the now.

The two laid back on their beach towels, soaking in the sunshine with huge smiles on their face. The waves crashing against the shore was like music to their ears and the only reason Hansol was looking forward to this day ending was so he could watch the mesmerizing sunset. Plus, a picture of him on the beach with a movie-like sunset in the background would look great on his Instagram feed.

 

 


	2. PART 2

Now that it was time to go to the club, Hansol found himself eating his words and his agreement with Yuta. He didn’t verbalize his feelings, instead he chose an outfit that wouldn’t draw him too much attention and waited for Yuta to finish getting ready. The club they decided on was two blocks away so it would be easy for them to get there and back without too much hassle.

Hansol talked with his parents letting them know how their vacation was going so far, cautiously leaving out the airport situation and got off the phone as quickly as he could to avoid them bringing up the dreaded question or comment he knew would soon come if he let the conversation go on any longer than it already had.

As they walked to the club, Yuta had confidence in his steps. Something about going to a hot and sweaty, loud, crowded nightclub made him feel a way Hansol couldn’t relate to. Perhaps it wasn’t the desire to get into bed with anyone, or the fact that he knew he wasn’t straight, but even then, he still didn’t get how over priced drinks and sweaty bodies were appealing. He didn’t know how the night was going to go and he just wanted it to be over with already. _For Yuta_. _This was for Yuta._

The club was exactly how both imagined it to be, in their own concepts. It wasn’t that different from the clubs back home, only the song choices were far more horrible. As soon as they walked into the club, Yuta sidetracked Hansol by ordering them drinks so he didn’t focus on all the bad characteristics of the club like he wanted to. The alcohol in his system made it easier to ignore out the music and people scattered about the dance floor. “I want to dance.” Yuta tugged at the sleeve of Hansol’s jacket.

“Then dance.” Hansol shrugged, sipping his drink.

“Dance with me.”

“No.”

Yuta slapped his hand against the bar counter, giving Hansol the most bitter look he could manage. “You’re probably the only one in this whole club that actually knows how to dance. So, lets show them up.”

“This isn’t _Step Up_ , Yuta.” He rolled his eyes, turning back toward the bar and away from the heterosexual agenda behind him. “I’m not dancing.”

 Instead of arguing with Hansol further, knowing it wouldn’t get him anywhere besides a walk home alone, he got up from his seat at the bar and drank the rest of his virgin vodka in one swig. “Fine, then I’ll find someone else to dance with since my own best friend won’t.” Yuta placed his empty glass down and escaped into the crowd. If he was expecting Hansol to run after him with apologies spewing from his mouth whilst dancing his heart out, Yuta was going to be greatly let down.

Drunk guilt set in five minutes later. The only reason he came to the club was for Yuta and he wasn’t living up to their agreement or Hansol’s internal agreement. He downed the rest of his drink and left to find Yuta in the dreaded crowd. He pushed past sweaty, grinding bodies with a small _sorry_ ’s and probably did a full circle through the dance floor in search of Yuta.

Yuta found Hansol first, breaking away from a conversation with a stranger to approach him. “So, you want to dance now?”

“Our agreement was to not pick up girls.” Hansol crossed his arms, upset that Yuta went against his wishes.

“I know, I wasn’t.” Yuta smiled matter-of-factly, as if he had some trick up his sleeve.

He crossed his arms, furrowing his eyebrows as he stared down Yuta in the middle of the dance floor as about a hundred bodies danced around them. “I saw you.”

“Yeah, we agreed that I wouldn’t pick up girls,” Yuta’s smile grew bigger. “but you didn’t say anything about boys.”

Taken aback by the comment, Hansol didn’t know how to respond. He was right, though. Their agreement was about girls, because Hansol didn’t think Yuta went that way. Then again, they never really talked about it. Yuta had a silent understanding of Hansol and vice versa. Now that Hansol thought of it, after Hansol came out to Yuta, they never really talked about that subject again. Perhaps Yuta just wasn’t ready to come out when Hansol was – or Yuta was just doing this to get a reaction out of him. Hansol couldn’t figure it out.

Before Hansol could say anything in response, Yuta grabbed his hand and dragged him off the dance floor, which Hansol gladly obligated with. They didn’t stop at the bar like Hansol thought they would, instead Yuta continued to the door they came in and brought them outside. The cool air felt nice against their skin, not realizing just how moist the air was in the club. Hansol shuddered at the thought.

“I’m actually really glad you came to find me because the guy was borderline annoying.” Yuta laughed, turning toward Hansol and letting go of his hand. “So, what do you want to do now?”

He wanted to ask about Yuta and the man but he wouldn’t answer the question either if it were directed at him, so he stayed silent. “Pizza.”

They glanced around the street, there’s at least ten restaurants or food joints on every block here. It shouldn’t take too long for them to find a pizza shop. “There’s that one by the hotel we were going to try.” Yuta suggested and they headed toward there.

The whole walk there, Yuta rambled non-stop about nothing and everything. If there was a button to put Yuta on mute, Hansol would click it without hesitation. He loved Yuta, don’t get him wrong, but drunk Yuta did not know when to shut up. For someone who preferred to listen instead of talk, that was saying a lot. Plus, Hansol was a little too drunk to hold a coherent conversion for more than two minutes, so fake listening to Yuta and nodding along to what he was saying would work for now. Yuta didn’t seem to mind.

“I have to pee.” Yuta abruptly stopped walking and turned to Hansol, as if asking his permission.

“We’re like five minutes from the pizza place.”

“I have to pee now. I won’t make it five more minutes.”

Hansol rolled his eyes as Yuta stumbled down a thin alley that was probably only four feet in width. It was dark and the only light that lit up part of the alley came from the street lamp. “Hurry, please.” Hansol sighed, awkwardly hovering by the alley being careful to not watch Yuta do his business. As he scanned the street lit up by various colorful restaurant signs, billboards, and street lights – his eyes landed on two guys leaned over the side of a car talking to whoever was in the vehicle. He decided to keep watching them as it gave him something to do while Yuta took the longest pee in the history of the universe. Seriously, how much pee could possibly be in his bladder?

He watched one of the men retrieve a small backpack from the trunk and bring it back to where the other man stood at the driver’s window. Someone got out of the passenger side of the car and walked over to the two men – they took a few steps back as the person approached them. One of the men extended their hand, in which the passenger slapped away seemingly without a second thought.

He watched as the driver, clearly in view now that the two men had moved out of the way, got out of the car. Their voices grew louder and louder, an argument escalating. “What the hell is going on?” Yuta came up behind Hansol, startling him as he was deeply focused on whatever was going on.

“I don’t know.” Hansol shrugged, breaking away his stare for a moment to look at Yuta. “Can we go now? I’m starving.”

Ordering food drunk in a language you barely knew sober was a whole experience on its own but they managed it nonetheless, special thanks to the cashier who understood what Yuta meant by repeatedly asking for the ‘ _circle meat_ ’ on his pizza.

They finished their slice of pizza quickly and decided to finish their night back at the hotel. Five minutes from the hotel, they decided to hang around outside the pizza joint. There wasn’t any rush to get back just yet. “Thanks for going to the club with me, Hansol.” Yuta’s voice sounded soft and as sweet as candy, but Hansol kept the mental note to himself. “I know you probably didn’t have an enjoyable time and I’m sorry for that but it does mean a lot to me that you came with anyway.”

Not going to lie, Hansol was a little shocked by Yuta’s statement. Not for the thank you, but because Yuta thought Hansol didn’t have fun with him tonight. “No, it was an amazing night, Yuta.” Hansol took in a deep breath, a small smile forming and fading. “Even in the most atrocious of situations, you always find a way to make it better. You’re the only person in this entire world that can get me to do things out of my comfort zone, and I thank you for that, even if it seems that I’m not into it.”

The words warmed Yuta’s heart. He repeated them over and over in his head, hoping that he wouldn’t forget this small moment between them in the morning. They were each others backbone since the moment they met as preteens, yet they showed little affection to each other. It’s not that they were scared to – they just didn’t know _how_ to. “Thank _you_.” Hansol added.

Shouting from down the block interrupted the small moment they shared and they stopped to look in the direction it was coming from. Once they squinted and steadied their bodies as much as they could, they could faintly make out two figures running in their direction. They must’ve been running fast, in just a few seconds they were only a few steps away. One clutched a backpack to their chest and the other chasing them was yelling obscurities. The two ran past with a gush of wind and were out of Hansol and Yuta’s view just as quick as they came in.

“What the fuck?” Yuta exclaimed, slightly ecstatic to witness whatever just went down. “Should we follow them?”

Hansol grabbed his arm to stop him from going anywhere. He’d heard a lot of bad ideas come out of Yuta’s mouth – but that was by far the worst one yet. “Um, no?” He choked out.

“I want to know what happens,” He giggled. In hindsight, he didn’t know what he was expecting to see or find out if he chased after them – especially drunk and full of pizza – but he just wanted to do something reckless for once. Sober Yuta would’ve pondered over the fact he was starting to be a little _too_ carefree tonight but drunk Yuta didn’t mind. Everything sounded like an adventure. “They’re probably too far away now anyway.”

Hansol burst into laughter, amused at the fact Yuta was about to chase two people drunk down some random downtown California street at one in the morning. Now that Hansol thought about it, the guy probably stole the bag and he was running from the rightful owner. If that was the case, Yuta was a fucking dimwit and he was going to write out this whole moment in his notes to make sure he wouldn’t forget. How could he possibly remember every single dumb thing Yuta’s done if he doesn’t have a written document of it? Or as Yuta likes to refer to it as; black mail. If all else fails and his dance studio idea goes wary, he could always just write a book using the notes on his phone. Let’s just say it’d be a _very_ lengthy book.

They started the short trek back to the hotel, joking nonstop along the way about nothing in particular. It was what they were best at – that and finding every potential way to embarrass each other.

Yuta and Hansol were complete opposites, but somehow, they fit together perfectly.

“Is your phone ringing?” Yuta randomly questioned. Hansol grabbed his phone from his front pocket, checking it to find no incoming call. He could hear the ringing Yuta was asking about, but it didn’t sound like it was coming from either of their phones.

They glanced around the mostly empty street. There were a few people on the opposite side of the street, hanging outside a 7-11 that Yuta and Hansol frequented often due to it’s close proximity to their hotel. They seemed to be off in their own world and it was obvious the ringing wasn’t coming from them. The phone they heard ringing was only maybe five feet from them, but they couldn’t find the source.

Without any reason besides just wanting to know _where_ it’s coming from, they set off on a little hunt to find the source. They knew it had to be a cell phone but nothing nor no one was on the side walk around them.

The ringing abruptly stopped, the call going to voicemail perhaps. Their search efforts didn’t end when the ringing did. For another ten minutes, they searched the small area outside of the hotel and came up short. Until the phone started ringing once again.

This time, they were able to pinpoint an area. The bushes to the left of the hotel entrance. “Someone must’ve dropped their phone in the bushes and didn’t realize.” Yuta shrugged, leaning over to peak in them for any kind of light but instead saw darkness. He moved around the perimeter of the small bush garden, pinpointing exactly where it was. He blindly reached in to see if he could feel something, his face lighting up as he felt his hand touch something that wasn’t branches or leaves.

“Did you find it?” Hansol asked from the sidewalk.

He pulled up on whatever it was, revealing a backpack, with the ringing coming from inside it. “I think so.”

The ringing stopped a few seconds after, whoever was calling was probably looking for the backpack they had just found. “Do we open it?” Yuta asked.

“We’ve got to find the owner, don’t we? Open it.”

Yuta plopped the bag down on the brick lining of the shrub garden and unzipped the front, small pocket where he presumed the phone would be. He retrieved an older style flip phone. Upon opening, there were three missed calls all from ‘UNKNOWN’ numbers. He showed the screen to Hansol, who was as equally confused. If someone was looking for their belongings, why would they call on an unknown number? How were they going to get a call back when their stuff was found? Hansol took the phone, clicking away on it to find something that would give them an idea of who the owner was while Yuta checked the rest of the contents of the backpack.

He went for the big pocket this time, the bag had a good weight to it, so there must be something in here the owner was keen on getting back if it was stolen or lost. He unzipped the top, enough to pop open and have enough light shown in it from the street lamps.

“Hansol,” Yuta gasped out. “Put the phone down.”

He looked at him confused, looking at the bag but not being able to see anything inside due Yuta barely unzipping it. “Why? What is it?”

It all made sense to Yuta now – he watched too many tv shows and movies to _not_ know what this was. The unknown numbers on an old flip phone, the contents of the backpack… dumped in a shrub garden – purposely or not, Yuta still didn’t have a good feeling. He opened the bag enough for Hansol to peak in but no one else around them to chance catching a glimpse of what’s inside. Hansol clasped a hand over his own mouth, shocked at what’d they’d found.

Wads and wads of hundred-dollar bills filled the entire backpack almost. They couldn’t even begin to imagine how much cash was in here. Or where the hell it came from.

“Wait,” Hansol’s hand still hovered over his mouth in shock. “Do you think that could be the same backpack we saw the guy holding earlier?”

Yuta hadn’t thought to connect the two but it was too coincidental to _not_ think that it was the same bag. “Fuck, Hansol.”

He quickly zipped up the bag, taking the phone from Hansol and flipping it closed. “Lets just go back to our room and figure this all out tomorrow.” Hansol agreed and they walked into the lobby, hearts racing as if they committed a crime of their own. If anyone were to look in the bag, they would probably assume that Yuta and Hansol were some kind of crime lords.

In the elevator on the way to the fifth floor, Hansol couldn’t help but think of a thousand questions regarding the backpack and its contents.

Whoever was chasing the man clutching the backpack probably would’ve noticed if he ditched the bag, yet it was just laying in the bushes as if it were abandoned and forgotten about. So, where the hell were the two men?

As they approached their door, Hansol had another revelation. “The car.”

“What car?”

“When you were peeing, I saw some people arguing with people in a car,” Hansol was wide-eyed, explaining the prior situation. “there was one guy that got a backpack from the trunk of the car – _that backpack_.”

Yuta looked up and down the hallway, although there was seemingly no one around and all the tenants were most likely asleep, he opened the door to their room and ushered Hansol inside.

“Do you remember what they were saying?”

“No, they were across the street. It was all muffled.” His recollection of the whole situation was already hazy from the alcohol in his system. This night could really not be anymore confusing.

Yuta huffed, falling back onto the bottom edge of his bed. He started to rethink the decision of bringing the bag back to their hotel room. If he was sober, he probably would’ve left it. He should’ve left it. They didn’t know what they were dealing with or what they were getting themselves into.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, the phone started ringing once again, causing him to shoot up from the bed. Hansol still stood in the same place, lost in his own thought. They made eye contact, not saying a word. The phone sounded like an alarm, blasting through the room.

“Do we answer?” Hansol asked.

Yuta shook his head, getting up from his spot on the bed and silencing the phone. “Lets just take care of it tomorrow. We’re not going to be able to do anything effectively drunk.”

Hansol agreed and they changed into their sleep clothes, ending the night with a small “goodnight” to one another.

In the morning, they headed down to the lobby to get breakfast, hungover and not blanking as much of the night before as the first time they went out drinking. “These pancakes are so tasty.” Yuta moaned through a full mouth of food.

“They taste like any regular pancakes I’ve ever had.”

“These are the best. They aren’t just regular pancakes,” Yuta mumbled, shoving another bite in coated in sugary syrup. “They’re California pancakes.”

“They’re probably from a box mix.”

“Don’t ruin my moment! They’re the best pancakes I’ve had. Ever.” Yuta exclaimed. It’s safe to say Yuta is still a little drunk from last night. How much did he possibly drink? Hansol gagged a little at the thought.

“Okay, I agree,” Hansol forced a small smile. “they’re the best pancakes in the entire universe.”

Yuta smiled, his cheeks stuffed with pancakes and eggs. When they ate, they didn’t do much talking. They were more focused on the food in front of them, but there was a question that had bothered Hansol all night long. “What are we going to do about the backpack?” Hansol asked.

By the others reaction, it was obvious Yuta momentarily forgot about all the money that sat up in their room. “Oh, fuck,” Yuta mumbled under his breath, washing down his food with a long drink of his orange juice. “I don’t know.”

“We have to return it, don’t we?”

Yuta shrugged, raising an eyebrow in thought. “Yeah, lets just walk up to some criminals and give them their money back we stole.”

“We didn’t steal it!” Hansol defended. “It was _your_ idea to take it back to the hotel!”

He paused for a moment. “It was?”

“Yeah.”

“Why’d you listen to me? I was drunk!”

Hansol sarcastically laughed. “Try telling your drunk-self ‘no’. It’s like asking to start world war three.”

“I’m not like that when I’m drunk, you’re lying.”

Hansol actually laughed at that statement, just as Hansol suspected, “You’re still drunk from last night.”

Before Yuta could decline his statement, Hansol got up from the table, taking his food with him and shoving it in the trash on the way out. He did not want to start their day with an argument.

Ten minutes after Hansol got back to the room, Yuta returned as well, a blank expression on his face. “I’m sorry, okay? Yes, I’m still kind of drunk from last night. I’m sorry I’m an asshole. I’m sorry for whatever I did that offended you.”

“Just stop saying sorry and own up to your actions.” Hansol sighed.

Yuta opened his mouth but shut it without saying anything more. It was obvious silence was the only solution to the situation. He hated the fact Hansol was upset with him for something he’d done he could barely remember. His eyes fell to the backpack perched against the dresser. He knelt down and opened the front pocket, taking out the phone. “What are you doing with that?”

He flipped open the phone. 13 missed calls. 20 missed texts.

_UNKNOWN: Where are you?_

_UNKNOWN: I swear to god, HC_

_UNKNOWN: Answer the damn phone_

_UNKNOWN: Where is my money?_

_UNKNOWN: If you’re not back in an hour I’m sending the T’s_

Before he could read anymore, the phone started ringing in his hand. He didn’t know what to do, he just stared up at Hansol wide-eyed, about to pee himself from nervousness. “Who is it?” Hansol asked.

“Unknown.”

“Should we answer it? Whoever it is, they’re looking for the money in the backpack.”

As Yuta looked at Hansol, he clicked the answer button, slowly moving the phone up to his ear. “Hello?”

The other line was silent for a moment, before a mans voice cut through. “Who is this?”

“Who is _this_?” Yuta shot back.

“Where’d you get this phone?” Said the unknown man.

“We found it.” Yuta remained short. The man repeated his prior question, in which Yuta added “in a backpack.”

“What is in that backpack is mine, if I don’t get my money, we’re going to have problems.” The man snarled. Yuta and Hansol didn’t know how to react, so Yuta slammed the phone shut in hopes that it would just be over.

“Lets throw the backpack back into the bush.” Yuta suggested. Hansol nodded and they grabbed the backpack, shoved the phone back into the front pocket, and left their room. The elevator ride down to the lobby felt longer than ever, especially when they could hear the phone ringing over and over in the bag.

“I shouldn’t be allowed to drink.” Yuta forced his eyes shut, as if he’d open them and they wouldn’t be in this weird situation with a backpack full of money from god knows where and a random man threatening them over it, but when he opened them they were still in the elevator, in the same situation as before.

Maybe it was just their guilty conscious – they didn’t actually do anything wrong; they didn’t steal the backpack from the bush… their goal was to get it back to the rightful, or not-so-rightful, owner – but it felt like everyone around them knew what was in the backpack.

Perhaps this was the real test; a backpack full of more money they’d probably had in their entire life combined. They didn’t have to return it. They could break the burner phone and act like nothing ever happened. With all this money, Hansol could open his dance studio and Yuta could do whatever he wanted. All their problems would be gone.

Expect they weren’t nefarious people at all.

They couldn’t possibly live with that kind of guilty weight on their shoulders. Returning it to where it was found and vowing to never touch another random bag they come across was the only practical solution to their problem at hand because there was no way in hell they were going to ever confront whoever was on the other line of that phone. They didn’t sound like someone Yuta or Hansol would ever want to mess with.

As they approached the lobby doors to the street, Yuta got an unnerving feeling. He couldn’t describe it – it was something he’d never felt before. Something was telling him not to take any steps further. “What did that car look like you saw last night?”

“I don’t know… a black four-door sedan? It was dark, I couldn’t see it that well.” Hansol shrugged, his hands shoved into his grey sweatpants.

“Like that one out there?” Yuta asked, motioning his head to the black sedan that was parked across the street. The windows were so tinted it couldn’t be legal, which made it hard for them to tell if there was anyone in it. Hansol took a glance at it and nodded, it looked like the one he had seen last night, but there were probably thousands of that same car in California. Just because it looked the same, they couldn’t be sure it _was_ the same car.

The phone started ringing once again, making them both pause momentarily in fear. “Answer it.” Said Hansol.

Grabbing the flip phone from the bag, Yuta opened it and hesitantly put it up to his ear without having to look to know who the call was from. “I was beginning to think you didn’t know how to answer a phone,” the man chuckled. “give me my bag or we’re going to have a problem.”

Silently pleading for Yuta to comply with the unknown man, Hansol’s heart was beating out of his chest. “Okay.”

“Great, great…” His voice suddenly seemed chirpy, surprising for how deep it had been before. “I’m outside your hotel. All you have to do is walk out and I’ll have someone waiting to take it off your hands.”

Well, fuck.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment and let me know how you like the story so far!!! (and maybe what you think will come next?)
> 
> part 3, the final chapter, will be out in a few days! don't forget to subscribe to know when it's out!!☼


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